Emergency Dentist: Quick Solutions for Dental Crises

Life can throw unexpected surprises our way, and a dental emergency is a surprise no one wants. When you have excruciating pain or are at risk of losing a tooth, it can be frightening. Worse, a dental emergency like an abscessed tooth can be life-threatening. What should you do if you have a dental emergency? Drs. Devon Paris, Awaz Yaseen, and Cindy Rask at Gentle Dentistry of Columbus are here to help. 

Defining Dental Emergencies

While many dental emergencies involve severe pain, not all do. It is important to note that a dental emergency can still be serious, even if it’s not painful. If you are at risk of losing a tooth, it is crucial to seek help from an emergency dentist. True dental emergencies may include the following issues:

• Serious tooth infection, which often presents as intense pain and a swollen jaw or face
• Severe pain in the jaw or mouth
• Intense bleeding from the teeth or gums
• Loose teeth
• Sudden onset of extreme sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages
• Painful swelling or inflammation
• Jaw injuries
• Toothache that causes swelling in the jaw or face
• Abscessed tooth (this is usually identifiable by excruciating pain that cannot be relieved with over-the-counter pain medications)

Not Everything Is a Dental Emergency

While any dental issue can be concerning, not everything constitutes a dental emergency. For example, a broken crown isn’t an emergency unless you’re in a lot of pain or at risk of losing the tooth. Similarly, chipped, cracked, or broken teeth may not be emergencies if they cause no pain. A lost dental filling can usually wait until the next day. 

Abscessed Tooth: A Dangerous Dental Emergency

An abscessed tooth is a dental emergency you need to be very concerned about. You risk losing the tooth, and it can be life-threatening. You’ll know you have an abscess if the pain can’t be relieved with non-prescription pain relievers like Tylenol or Advil. 

In some cases, an abscessed tooth can result in very serious conditions like swollen, pus-filled areas of the lips, cheeks, and/or throat (these are a few examples). If you have any of the following symptoms, go to the emergency room immediately:

• Difficulty breathing
• Fever of over 103 degrees
• Swallowing difficulty
• Vomiting
• Confusion
• Flushing
• Light hypersensitivity
• Chills
• Dizziness

Causes of Sudden Damage to a Tooth

Many things can happen to cause a tooth to be damaged, including any of these:

• Slipping or falling injuries
• Sports injuries
• Running into hard objects
• Being hit by a hard object
• Eating sticky or hard foods
• Car accidents
• Failed or damaged dental work (this can include loose crowns and cracked fillings)

Your Emergency Dentist in Columbus, Georgia

When you have a dental emergency and need urgent care for a toothache, Drs. Devon Paris, Awaz Yaseen, and Cindy Rask at Gentle Dentistry of Columbus in Columbus, Georgia, are here to help. You can request an appointment online or call today at (706) 321-4330 to learn more about what to do when you need an emergency dentist.

Share this Article